by Jill S. on I was told that I often formulate my reviews based on the success of the date I'm on at the time...so not true! *crosses arms* With that being said, Dante's really does deserve 3 stars, it was just OK. This was my first fondue experience and i was kinda hyped up to this "unique dining" experience. So reservations were made to sit in the boat, which on a Saturday night is $9/pp for the entertainment charge. I suppose if you want the prime seats to be up close and personal with the band, its worth it. I could hear the music when we walked in, so sitting in the regular people seats would have been cool with me. We had a combination of 2 servers, both who asked if we've visited Dante's before, upon a "No" they proceeded to speak really fast to explain what is fondue, what kind of oil, how to work the pot, don't eat with the skewer sticks, be careful, any questions *read that really fast and that's what we experienced* Run down... Chicken & Veggie Fondue - so handling raw chicken on a date, eh, not so sexy. Trying to have a conversation, watch the band, listen to the band, make sure we didn't cook the meat past 2min and the veggies past 30sec, except for mushrooms...damn, can someone just make my meal for me and bring it out? I'm exhausted just typing this! Overall, I wouldn't totally count out Dante's, but only if you want to listen to music and eat, or as other reviewers noted, maybe just for dessert.
by Carey Yasutake on I can think of a no more perfect way to spend a Sunday on a beautiful day in Philly. A friend of mine brought me here for brunch. We put our names in and then walked outside to enjoy the sun and indulge in a little people watching while we waited. In less than 20 minutes (perfect) our little buzzer went off and we were seated... downstairs. Which my friend told me was a good thing. As soon as we sat down she pointed up to the tables with the... no... could it be? Swinging baskets instead of stationary chairs? Interesting. Not that I have anything against swinging while I eat -- I was after all a kid once upon a time, I just wasn't in the mood for swing eating that particular Sunday. I ordered the pancakes, the spinach and ham omelette and a side of bacon. The pancakes were nice and fluffy, my omelette was very good and the bacon was just the right amount of crispy. Our server was nice and the service was good, albeit a little slow, the atmosphere was energetic without being overly noisy, and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. I will definitely be back on my next trip to Philly!
by Ricky Tone on I love Cafe Du Nord. I have been in their main venue and in the Swedish American room upstairs. I find their concerts to be good and have seem many respectable shows there. I think they need a few more chairs in the main room, but otherwise, I like the vibe. I also like the Swedish American room - huge room, great hardwoods. It is beautiful.
